Hearts of Oak: Nebojsa Kapor cautions players ahead of Basake Holy Stars clash

Hearts of Oak coach Nebojsa Kapor has warned his players against underestimating Basake Holy Stars ahead of their Ghana Premier League Matchday 8 encounter on Friday.

The Phobians will host the fifth-placed Holy Stars at the University of Ghana Stadium on October 23, with kick-off scheduled for 17:00 GMT.

Hearts of Oak head into the fixture seeking a third consecutive victory after recording narrow 1-0 wins over Vision FC and Port City in their previous two matches.

Those results have lifted the Accra-based club to second in the league standings, level on points with leaders Medeama SC and third-placed Samartex FC.

Despite their recent form, Kapor has cautioned his side against complacency, insisting that Holy Stars have demonstrated enough quality to pose a serious challenge.

“Basake won games at home and collected a good number of points. So far, they did well, and we are approaching them as a very strong opponent. We are not going to think this game will be easy, never,” he said.

The Serbian coach stressed that his players must approach the contest with the right mentality, tactical discipline and a strong sense of responsibility rather than assuming they are the superior side.

“Every game here is very difficult, especially from a mentality side; we have to face this game very tough. We are not going to say we are the better team and we will win. No, we are really going to approach them very deeply from every department, from every single player, and like this we will create awareness and good and quality tactics for this game,” Kapor added.

Kapor also admitted that the decision to move the fixture from Sunday to Friday had shortened his side's preparation time.

However, he remains confident that the team can make the necessary tactical adjustments and deliver another strong performance.

“A little surprise came because we expected this game to be on Sunday, but we got information that they are moving the game to Friday. So that is making a little short time for us, but also enough tactical sessions, and I’m sure we will prepare for this game nicely and put on a serious performance from our last game,” he said.

Hearts will be hoping to extend their winning run and maintain their position among the league's leading teams, while Holy Stars will be looking to upset the hosts and strengthen their standing in the table.